Since 2017, the Graduate and Post-Doctoral Education Across the Disciplines SIG #168 has had more than 150 SIG members from Argentina, Australia, Canada, China, Denmark, Ecuador, Finland, Indonesia, New Zealand, Spain, United Arab Emirates, the UK, and the USA.
Dr. Deniece Dortch is an assistant professor of higher education administration at The George Washington University. Dr. Dortch's research and teaching grapples with systemic oppression across multiple axes. She uses critical phenomenological approaches to understanding how African American undergraduate and graduate students experience and respond to race and racism at predominantly white institutions of higher education. Prior to joining the faculty at George Washington University, Dr. Dortch was a postdoctoral research fellow at the University of Utah where she created the African American Doctoral Scholars Initiative, a comprehensive mentoring program focused on graduate student socialization into the academy. She earned her Ph.D. in Education Leadership & Policy Analysis from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, an Ed.M. in Higher & Postsecondary Education from Teachers College, Columbia University and a M.A. in Intercultural Service, Leadership & Management from the School for International Training in Vermont and a B.A. in Spanish from Eastern Michigan University. Dr. Dortch is a returned United States Peace Corps Volunteer who served in both Morocco and Jamaica.
Dr. Lezotte is currently Assistant Vice President of Sponsored Research and Administration at Rowan University. Dr. Lezotte has worked in research administration for 15 years, previously serving as Assistant Dean of the graduate school and Director of Strategic Research Initiatives. She holds a B.A. in English from Lebanon Valley College, an M.A. in English from Rutgers-Camden, and Ph.D. in Education (Postsecondary and Higher Education) from Rowan University. Dr. Lezotte’s research focuses on postsecondary success and college outcomes, and she has been published in: Journal of Diversity in Higher Education, Journal of Applied Research in Higher Education, Improving Schools, School Science and Mathematics, Journal for Professional Issues in Engineering Education and Practice, and William and Mary Educational Review. She holds professional development certificates in Research Law; Research Financial Administration; Inclusive Practices and Pedagogy; and Designing Hybrid-Flexible (HyFlex) Courses to Support Multimodal Learning Environments. Since 2006, Dr. Lezotte has taught postsecondary courses ranging from community college to Ph.D. levels including higher education administration, strategic planning and budgeting, research methods, thesis/practicum advisement, writing, and literature. She currently serves as Vice-Chair for AERA's Special Interest Group 168: Graduate and Postdoctoral Education Across the Disciplines.
Dana Michelle is the 2023-2025 SUNY-PRODiG Fellow in Gender Studies at Purchase College-SUNY, where she also teaches in the Sociology and Liberal Arts majors. Dana Michelle, as a non-traditional college student, earned a bachelor’s in psychology and master’s in counseling from Montclair State University. She worked in academic and student affairs for over a decade before completing her PhD at Rutgers University—New Brunswick. Dana Michelle’s research examines the intersections of gender, race, representation, equity, and justice. Additionally, she considers how European research traditions’ constructions decenters the lived experiences of Blackwomen, particularly in the unique ways they communicate with each other. More broadly, Dana Michelle’s interests lie in understanding the conditions that facilitate Blackwomen’s success in organizations by utilizing culturally appropriate research methodologies.
Shaoan Zhang, Ph.D., is a professor of teacher education in the Department of Teaching and Learning at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Zhang is an experienced researcher in teacher self-disclosure, teacher development, and STEM education. He has published over 40 refereed journal articles, authored multiple book chapters, and presented extensively at national and international conferences, including AERA and ATE. Zhang has led significant funded projects, including National Science Foundation grants, emphasizing STEM pathways for underrepresented groups and constructivist learning strategies. He has served in leadership roles such as Senior Editor for Action in Teacher Education and as chair of the Association of Teacher Educators (ATE) Research Committee. As a mentor, he has guided numerous doctoral students and graduate assistants, fostering the next generation of educational researchers and practitioners. Zhang's work continues to shape national and international dialogues on teacher education practices and innovations in educational research.
Dr. Wallace is an Assistant Professor of College Student Personnel at the University of Louisville. Currently, Dr. Wallace's work critically explores Black men and masculinities at various levels (undergraduate, graduate, faculty) in higher education by drawing on Black feminist frameworks. Secondarily, his work examines how Black men in engineering disciplines, develop their various identities (race, gender, academic discipline). Previously, he received his Ph.D. in Educational Leadership & Policy Analysis from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, along with his Master of Arts in Higher Education from the University of Missouri-Kansas City and Bachelor's degree from Emporia State University. In addition, Dr. Wallace has extensive experience working in student and academic affairs at various institution types.
Pacey Ham Mitchell is a PhD Candidate in the Higher Education Studies & Leadership (HESL) program at Baylor University in Waco, Texas. Her research examines how doctoral students are socialized to academic life and what it means to be a good academic citizen across various disciplines and fields. Thus, she is interested in topics like doctoral student collegiality, faculty and peer mentorship, and discipline and field inculcation. She has also served as a research assistant supporting studies on collegiate food insecurity and the transition to the sophomore year, STEM students’ utilization of and benefits from their funds of knowledge, and an NSF-funded project focused on reexamining risk and success for low-income engineering and computer science students. She has been published in the Journal of College Student Retention: Research, Theory, and Practice and has presented her work at the American Educational Research Association (AERA) and Association for the Study of Higher Education (ASHE) annual meetings. Prior to starting the HESL program, Pacey earned an MSEd in Higher Education and Student Affairs from Baylor University, a BA in English with an emphasis in Creative Writing and Poetry from the University of Houston, and has worked in university admissions, engineering, and computer science, and spiritual life. In her free time, Pacey enjoys reading for fun, cooking, and spending time with her family.
Zhongxin Zheng, known by her preferred name "Gogo," is a third-year doctoral student at George Washington University, specializing in Curriculum and Instruction. She earned her Bachelor’s degree from the University of Toronto, double-majoring in Statistics and Economics. Following her undergraduate studies, Gogo pursued her passion for education and completed a Master’s degree in Creative and Innovative Education at Johns Hopkins University. Her research interests focus on STEAM education, alternative pedagogy, arts integration, project-based learning, and experiential learning. She is particularly interested in the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and natural language processing (NLP) in STEAM education. In addition to her studies, Gogo works as a research assistant at George Washington University. Gogo enjoys practicing Chinese calligraphy and playing tennis and golf in leisure time. She is also a talented photographer, having been recognized with an award at the Pingyao International Photography Exhibition.
Graduate and Post-Doctoral Education Across the Disciplines
The new name of this Special Interest Group (“SIG”) is Graduate and Post Doctoral Education Across the Disciplines (hereafter, the “SIG”). Read More
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